


Legacy

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-11-12
Updated: 2001-11-12
Packaged: 2019-05-15 22:44:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	Legacy

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

The Schedule: Legacy  
By Jenna

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, but you knew that already.  
Achieve: If you wish.  
Rating: G to PG for language.  
Feedback: Is a rare and precious commodity and always welcome.

(Voiceover) Previously in 'The Schedule': The Setup, Week Five, Special Dispensation, A Memorable Event, Safe Harbor, Shared Dreams, Memorial, Memories, Dispositions, Depositions, Declarations Defiance [Wherein POTUS, Josh, Donna, and CJ went to the see the flood damage in south Alabama and our Josh did something to make the cover of Time.]

* * * Week 13, Washington D.C. * * *

The President's entourage had returned to Washington Thursday afternoon. After finally making it to Montgomery from Ft. Rucker by helicopter on Monday, the President's press conference announcing disaster relief funds had proceeded without a hitch. The Presidential party had spent the night in Montgomery and had made a Tuesday morning visit to the Southern Poverty Law Center for a photo-op at the Civil Rights Memorial with Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and SPLC's Morris Dees.

The President took the opportunity to announce an education initiative on racial and religious tolerance. Privately, the President assured Mr. Dees of the administration's support for SPLC's planned filing of a law suit seeking the removal of the Ten Commandments monument placed in the judicial building's rotunda at the command of the state's Supreme Court Chief Justice. The Justice said he considered the Ten Commandments to be the foundation for the American system of laws. Josh had commented if that was his reason, then why had the Chief Justice felt compelled to sneak it in during the middle of the night without notifying the other justices? It was grandstanding for the Christian Right who the justice was counting on for support in a future gubernatorial bid against the Democratic Siegelman.

Tuesday and Wednesday they had toured the flooding along the southeastern Atlantic seaboard before returning to Washington Thursday afternoon. Thursday night Josh and Donna had their first real privacy to take advantage of the latest advances in intimacy allowed by Leo's Schedule.

* * * Friday morning, Week Thirteen, the White House * * *

Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman walked into the White House, a smile on his face and the events of the previous evening on his mind. Everyone -- well, the rest of the Senior Staff and half of their assistants -- knew what the schedule allowed this week. If certain touching was permissible, then they really should expect that that certain responses would happen. They hadn't cheated, he assured himself...

"Good morning, Josh!"

"Good morning, Mr. President," Josh replied matching pace with the President who was on his way to his morning security briefing.

"You look relieved. Like you've had an enormous pressure release," the President commented, waving his arms in the air like a geyser erupting.

Josh stopped dead still for a second, feeling the blood rush to his face. How could the President know? He resumed walking and quickly caught up with the President.

"It must be quite a relief to not have to report to Capitol Hill for your morning grilling," the President continued.

"Oh... oh, yeah. It's an enormous relief. Did you see my picture on the cover of Time?" he asked in his excited kid voice.

"CJ showed me the new issue last night. It on the newsstands today, right?"

"Yeah. My mother says she's going to buy a stack of them and send them to all her friends."

"She must be pretty proud of you..."

"Yeah..." Josh smiled.

"We all are. And really," the President said enigmatically as he placed his hand on Josh's shoulder, "I understand, I'm Catholic." He left Josh in the hallway and went into his meeting.

Josh pondered why being Catholic helped the President understand why his mother was proud of him... Then he though about the President being a Catholic in the 1960s when he met Abbey... He blushed again as he realized that the President knew exactly what he and Donna had been up to the previous night.

Josh decided this latest example of omniscience by their fearless leader rated discussion by two of the most brilliant minds in the country: he went to see his best friend, Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn.

"Hey Sam," Josh said grinning at his friend as he walked into Sam's office.

"Hey! Can I have your autograph?"

"Very funny." Josh smirked. "It's a good picture though, isn't it? I mean... Not because I'm in it. I'd say that if it were anyone."

"Yeah, it is," Sam replied sincerely. "And seriously, you did good."

Josh shrugged, "I just did what anyone would have done in my place. Maurice Green and the other agent, Tony... something... Italian... and that state trooper were the real heroes."

"The feeling is that they get paid to do that sort of stuff. White House Deputy Chiefs of Staff don't."

"Whatever," Josh squirmed uncomfortably at being made over as a hero. "Listen, I just ran into the President in the hall... and he seemed to know that last night... Donna and I..." Josh trailed off.

"What?" Sam coaxed as his friend got flustered.

"We... uh... You know..."

"You didn't jump ahead of schedule did you?"

"No, no. I signed an oath remember? I really *can't* violate my oath. The schedule allows certain *touching* you know and if certain things get touched then--"

"Okay. Too much information, Josh," Sam interrupted holding up a hand.

"It's just uncanny. How does he know these things?"

"Josh, you *really* don't have a poker face," Sam answered taking a swing of coffee. "Judging from the Cheshire Cat grin you're wearing, I'd guess everyone in the West Wing knows by now."

"Yeah, well, I'm not so sure that Leo envisioned that consequence when they put it on the schedule. I'd rather he doesn't figure it out."

* * *

"Margaret! Get Josh in here!" White House Chief of Staff bellowed to the tall redhead.

Two minutes later a harried and nervous Deputy Chief of Staff made his appearance. "You wanted to see me, Leo?" he asked.

"What's this I hear?" Leo growled at his deputy.

"Uh... I... Donna... The President... It an autonomic response to... you know..." Josh stumbled to explain turning redder with each word.

Josh, what the hell are you talking about?" Leo asked finally looking up from the file he was reading.

"Uh... Week 13, the Schedule allows--"

"Honest to God Josh, I don't give a damn about the Schedule!"

"You... you don't?"

Leo looked up in time to see the fleeting look of desperation on Josh's face and Leo quickly negated his statement. "I don't give a damn just as long as you follow it!" he growled, realizing that his deputy still needed that rope to hold onto. As long as Josh followed the schedule one week after another, pulling himself to the end, he would get to that wedding. Nowhere on the schedule was there anything that said, 'Your world will fall apart in a fiery hell... or a fiery hail of bullets'. If he followed that schedule, then Josh had the confidence that he couldn't blow it in a blazing glory of social ineptness. Leo vowed that he would see that schedule followed to the letter and Josh safely through the next seven weeks.

"That's not why I called you in here though. What the hell is this I hear about Buckman's people making statements about 'vote for someone else?'

* * *

"Hey," Sam said rapping on Josh's doorjamb as he entered his friend's office. "I thought you'd be hanging out in the Oval bugging Donna."

"No, I can't go in there right now."

"Did the President ban you? You been whining to her about your temp?"

"No. I mean, I really can't go in there now. I can't see Donna or I start thinking about last night..."

"Oh," Sam said, thoughtfully considering his friend's dilemma. "That could be a problem. We have staff in 5.

"Hey. You guys ready?" CJ said coming up behind Sam.

"Josh can't go to staff," Sam explained.

"Why not?"

"Every time he gets near Donna he gets... excited."

"Sam!" Josh shouted.

CJ groaned and rolled her eyes. "You were fine yesterday, what happened?"

Josh opened and closed his mouth, turning beet red. CJ turned to Sam and quirked a clinical eyebrow. Sam did his best 'I'm as innocent as a newborn babe' expression and said, "Donna gave Josh a hand--"

"Sam!" Josh choked. He buried his head in his arms on his desk.

"Okay..." CJ drawled. "I don't think I really needed to know that." She turned to Sam, "And the problem is--" she quirked her eyebrow knowingly.

"Yeah," Sam acknowledged.

"I'm still here, you know."

"Hmm...." CJ tapped a finger to her lips. "Have you tried thinking about Republicans?"

"Yeah. It doesn't work. I start thinking about Donna with that Republican -- Cliff," he snarled the name, obviously not over his jealousy in that regard, "and that gets me to thinking about... you know... and I--"

"Right."

"And we're late," Sam added, glancing at his watch.

"Josh, I hate to do this but, remember, it's for your own good..." CJ said sternly. "Mary Marsh."

"Okay. That works," Josh said standing up and walking briskly out of his office. Sam and CJ shrugged at each other and followed him.

"That's going to be my new mantra," Josh said confidently. "Mary Marsh... if she only knew how her name was being used..."

"So tell us Josh," CJ asked as they proceeded down the hallway, visions of payback dancing in her head. "Did Donna get reciprocity?"

"CJ!" He yelled, as thoughts of Mary Marsh vanished in a flash and his problem returned.

"Three hours, Josh. I had to listen to him talk about boll weevils and 'King Cotton' for three hours. Payback's a bitch," she smiled sweetly and walked ahead, noticing the strategic positioning of the ubiquitous blue file folder Josh was holding.

"Mary Marsh, Josh, remember your mantra," Sam offered helpfully.

Josh groaned, "seven more weeks. Mary Marsh.... Mary Marsh... Mary Marsh..."

* * *

Fortunately, Donna was not in the reception area when they arrived. Charlie said that the president had asked her to locate some information in file boxes that had not yet been organized and sent over to the storeroom at OEOB. Apparently, there was a list that supposedly identified the boxes by content, but an intern had filed it in one of the boxes. Donna had a plan of action to seek and find that missing list.

Leo greeted the three senior staffers with grim expressions. "Toby's on his way back."

"I thought he was supposed to be tied up with the hearings all day," Sam commented.

"Yeah," Leo responded. "Apparently Judiciary took so much heat over their attempt to nail Josh that they have decided to discontinue their investigation."

"What! But, that's great news!" Sam exclaimed.

"They can't be giving up..." Josh mused, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"What's the catch?" CJ asked.

"The House Oversight Committee is picking up the torch."

"Ah..." Josh said understanding dawning.

"So now they start looking for a money trail?" CJ asked.

"Yeah, every penny we've spent. Every possible favor we've ever given or received. Every time we made a personal photocopy on a government copier. You name it." Leo stated.

"Yeah... Donna..." Josh murmured.

"I'll talk to her," CJ said.

* * *

"Hey," CJ said later that afternoon when she finally caught Donna alone in the Oval's reception office. "Thanks for the entertainment." Donna tilted her head in puzzlement. "Josh is a sight to behold when he's all flustered," CJ explained.

Donna looked down smiling as her face turned red.

"He's having a hard time, if you get my drift, coming in the oval office today --or not, as the case may be."

"CJ!" Donna chastised.

"Payback for the three-hour boll-weevil lecture he signed me up for during the flight back yesterday. I told him I hoped you got reciprocity."

Donna smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Anyway. Good for you. We need to talk though. The House Oversight Committee is taking over the investigation. They're going to be looking into every dime we spend. We can't have any questions about whether government funds are being spent for personal events."

"Like weddings."

"Yeah. I'm sorry Donna, but it just can't happen."

Donna's face fell. "Do we have to postpone the wedding indefinitely. I mean, I can see waiting until the hearings are over..."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Donna. I didn't mean the wedding couldn't take place on schedule --it's the one good thing we have to look forward to. It just can't be seen as a White House event. No government funds or time can be spent on it --even just extra secret service protection for the President. It would be viewed as spending taxpayer dollars for personal use."

"Does Josh know?"

"Yeah. We heard about it in staff. Toby called with the news on his way back from the Senate Judiciary hearings. They got too much flack from going after Josh, so they're shutting down and handing us over to the House."

"Oh, goodie," Donna responded sarcastically. "Then when they're done, they'll bounce us back to the Senate --the White House tennis ball."

"Yeah. Anyway. I was thinking, unless you want to have a big wedding somewhere else, we could just... you know... have a little ceremony after work."

"Whenever that is," Donna added dryly.

"True," CJ concurred. "So..."

"I don't know more than about five people I'd even considered inviting to the wedding who don't work for the White House. I haven't even decided whether I really want my mother and current stepfather here. My half-brother --from my mother's second marriage-- and I aren't close anymore --he's living in California somewhere, I think. And I moved out when my half-sister --third marriage-- was four. No one really wanted me around except to baby-sit after she came along. My father lives in Bora Bora or Tahiti or someplace like that tending bar and pretending to write the great American novel. I hear from him every few years, so I don't expect him to show up even if I track him down... Mary has to be here, of course..." Donna switched gears to Josh's family. "He doesn't have anyone else other than Leo and, now, the Bartlets."

"So really, it's just Mary Lyman and a Unitarian minister we need to arrange to have visiting the White House one night in about seven weeks."

"That's about the size of it. We've already talked to the minister at First Church. She's cool."

"You know the President is hinting that he'd be happy to assist in any way..."

"Yeah, he mentioned that," she smiled. "I'm just not sure how to say 'Mr. President, would you please escort me down the aisle?'"

"Why certainly I would, Donna. It's my pleasure," came the answer right on cue.

"Mr. President. I didn't know you were back," Donna said rising from her desk.

"I'm sneaky that way. You'll get used to all these doors before long. And I mean it. Leo told me about Oversight taking over. They're more into the money trail than Judiciary. But we can still have a White House wedding. We just have to make sure there's no 'waste of taxpayer dollars'. Though, as a taxpayer, I have to say getting you and Josh married is a better use of my dollars than a lot of things I've seen."

"Yes sir," she smiled. "Thank you sir."

* * *

"Donna?"

"White-collar crime boy," Donna's voice said from behind a stack of boxes.

"Donna, you're not gonna start that again are you? 'Cause, I swear to God it you start talking about women-in-chains movies, CJ going to have to explain to the press why the Deputy Chief of Staff blew a wa--"

"Hey! I heard that!"

"CJ? What are you doing here?" he directed towards the box-covered shelves where the voice seemed to originate.

"She's helping me look for that damn list," Donna replied.

"I think we could have just made a new list by this time."

"Ainsley?" Josh asked at hearing the familiar southern drawl from behind another set of shelves. "Is there anyone else in here I should know about before I embarrass myself further?"

"No. Three witnesses is sufficient," CJ replied.

"Although, I must say..." Ainsley drawled. "It is nice to know that you're capable of getting hot about something other than fighting Republicans."

"He's very competitive," Donna assured Ainsley.

"I'm leaving now!" Josh blushed as he fled the storage room to the sound of feminine laughter.

Josh groaned and leaned against the wall, "Seven more weeks..."

"The President's looking for you," Charlie said walking by.

"Thanks."

"No problem twinkle-toes."

Josh glared after Charlie and headed for the Oval Office. All in all, twinkle-toes might be the lesser of two evils. People could start calling him Pinocchio or Woody... At least 'twinkle-toes' he could blame on only being four and not knowing what a ballerina was... He knocked on the doorjamb to the Oval Office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yeah. Come on in, Josh. Have a seat," President Bartlet said in a serious tone. Josh guessed that this was going to be more than the President amusing himself for a few minutes by tormenting Josh with jokes about stiff ballerinas.

"Josh, I just wanted to say... Things are going to get worse -- a lot worse. We may not be able to survive this. It doesn't matter so much about me. I've had my crack at the big show. The message is what matters. If I have to resign... if there's no way out... then I want Hoynes to have the full support of the staff. We've had our differences -- I admit the man drives me nuts at times -- but he's a good man. And he's a damn sight better than anyone else out there right now."

"Excluding yourself, sir."

"Sometimes I wonder about that, Josh... Anyway, Hoynes will have his own ideas; he'll want his own people. If it comes to it, I want you to be one of his people."

"Sir!"

"I know, I know, Josh. Hear me out. You've worked for Hoynes, you know he's capable of taking over the Presidency. You don't want to see all our policies repealed any more than I do. And if the Republicans take over, they'd do it just on principal. What we leave -- what we do for the American people -- that's our legacy. I don't want to be remembered as having to resign because I failed to say 'oh, by the way, I have MS'. I want to be remembered for turning the tide. For putting the American government back on the path to serving the American people, not kowtowing to the special interest groups and corporations pulling the puppet strings. You can keep Hoynes honest. No one else will stand up to him -- no one he'd listen to. He respects you. He knows he's going to need you to win if -- when -- he runs on his own. I'd feel a hell of a lot better about all this if I could just know you were giving Hoynes as much grief as you give me."

Josh smiled at the President's gibe, "Hoynes might not want me around."

President Bartlet waved a hand in dismissal at the idea, "Nah. He's smart and ambitious. He'll go for it. He asked about you today..."

"He did?" Josh asked with a puzzled frown.

"Nothing mushy or anything. He just mentioned the Time cover. Said he was sorry to hear about the PTSD and was glad the Senate dropped the matter."

"Ah..."

"We're counting on you Josh -- Leo and I. You're our hope for the future. You're our legacy."

* * *

The End


End file.
